A disabled Madisonville teenager has sued the Louisiana High School Athletic Association in federal court for rejecting him for participation in varsity high school wrestling.
The student, identified only as J.M., currently is a sophomore at St. Paul’s School, a private Catholic high school in Covington, according to the complaint. The suit says he has been diagnosed with multiple disabilities, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, asthma and anxiety.
The athletic association denied J.M. varsity eligibility during his freshman year, saying he was outside the school's attendance zone. The suit says that claim is "flatly untrue."
"The denials resulted in J.M. missing his freshman wrestling season, which was devastating to J.M. and his parents," the lawsuit states.
On Oct. 16 of this year, the association again denied the student's request to be on a varsity wrestling team, citing " Special Ed" as the reason, the lawsuit states.
After J.M.'s parent retained an attorney the association reversed its decision and allowed J.M. to wrestle, the suit says.
"Though the LHSAA has thankfully now reversed its decision for the 2023-2024 season, the LHSAA cannot avoid accountability for its decision to deny J.M. eligibility his freshman year based purely on his disability," the suit states.
If J.M were a public school student, he would be protected from discrimination by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which does not apply to private schools, the suit says.
"J.M. and his family should not be punished for electing to attend a private school," the suit states. " Allowing J.M. (and other special-education students like him enrolled at private schools) to wrestle will in no way undermine the purposes or goals of the LHSAA’s programs."
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages plus attorney fees.
J.M. is represented by Chris Edmunds Chris Edmunds Law Office.
J.M. v. Louisiana High School Athletic Association, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, 2:23-cv-06514